Zeiss LRP S3 636-56 Review

[Justin Crossley]

Over the last few weeks, I've had the chance to do some shooting with the Zeiss LRP S3 636-56 Riflescope. The S3 is a brand new scope just released today. It's FFP, offered in MOA and MILs, 4-25x and 6-36x, with locking windage and a zero stop. My thoughts and review will be posted in the following posts.

***My Full Review***

But first, check out this intro from Zeiss.

Introducing ZEISS LRP S3
First Focal Plane Riflescopes

Long-range hunting requires significant amounts of time behind the rifle and scope – practicing – long before considering this type of hunt. Once you have developed your shooting skills, you and your gear had best be ready for the unexpected. Your ‘glass’ becomes your most valuable piece of gear on these hunts – both binoculars and riflescopes. The challenges for the hunter are many: hidden game, switching winds, poor and harsh lighting. You will need to carefully assess the field conditions and opportunity before taking the harvesting shot. These obstacles will test every parameter of the riflescope's capability – and while you may not be able to control the conditions, you can certainly adjust for them based upon your choice of a riflescope.



The ZEISS LRP S3, with up to a staggering 160 MOA or 46.5 MRAD of total elevation travel, can help ensure precise bullet placement on game. Advanced optics allow the hunter to quickly locate and confirm the sex and maturity of the species. The optical performance is assured via the use of multiple elements of ED glass, ZEISS T* (T-Star) lens coating, and 90% light transmission. The ZEISS Ballistic Stop, with its robust design and all-metal construction, provides an absolute and repeatable zero under any field condition. The external locking windage turret, with windage limiter, offers the hunter easy access for immediate wind corrections from a confirmed zero, and a locking feature to secure the setting. The daylight visible illuminated reticle – with a user-selectable option of red or green illumination – assures a viable point-of-aim in any lighting condition. Tested to withstand 1,500 g-force of shock over multiple impact cycles, the all-new ZEISS LRP S3 first focal plane riflescopes are ready for the hunt.

 

[Justin Crossley]

As I mentioned above, I received the Zeiss LRP S3 636-56 a couple of weeks back. They also sent me a set of Zeiss Precision Rings with a built-in level. I'm not a big fan of ring-mounted levels and prefer a separate level that is mounted to the scope. However, I got the scope mounted and the level set without issue.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Zeroing went well, and the LRP S3 tracked properly. I did a quick tall target test with two dots that were measured with the reticle at 7.5 mils. My dots weren't perfectly plumb because I forgot a level but the elevation adjustment was spot on.



The elevation turret has a zero stop and the "feel" of the clicks is decent. The windage turret locks and must be pulled out as in the photo below to turn. It's also limited to 5 mils in each direction so you always know you're on zero. Really well thought out turret system IMO.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Since my live fire tracking test was good I went to my shooting spot up in the mountains to shoot some distance. I shot steel targets from 650 yards to just over 1000 yards. The scope dialed accurately as I went back and forth between those targets. So far so good.



My next test was a drop test. I tested this scope similar to what is outlined here. Keep in mind though that my rifle is not bedded to the chassis so there are variables that I can't control the same way @Formidilosus can in his tests.

This rifle and ammo combo shoots consistently 1.25 moa or better for 10 shots. For my drop test I fired two rounds to confirm my zero was good. I then dropped the 15 pound rifle and scope from 18" onto a shooting mat on each side of the scope and fired a shot after every drop. I saw no point of impact shift through the three drops.

I then moved on to the 36" drops. On the first drop (on the parallax side of scope) the point of impact was high, and right just slightly outside of normal. I continued the drops, and shooting through the rest of the test. All four shots fired after that first 36" drop were within half moa of each other and made a tight little group in that high/right location. After the test I had to adjust two tenths left, and one tenth down to get my zero back to center.

Like I mentioned earlier, this rifle is not bedded to the chassis so this only tells me there was a shift. It doesn't tell me if it was the rifle or the scope. I may go through this process again (with a little lighter rifle), or send the scope to Form to do his drop test later on. For now, I'm going to take it on a couple hunts and see how it works in the field.

 

[MidGAHunter]

Probably better to not continue dropping it if you want to keep your turrets...

 

[Justin Crossley]

Probably better to not continue dropping it if you want to keep your turrets...

This scope is the LRP S3, not the S5. It could be built the same as the S5 or differently. I'm not sure.

I don't care what happens to the scope or whether or not it passes. I just want to know regardless of outcome.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I'm not a fan of the included throw lever. I would much rather it be half as long, similar to Nightforce.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I just got back from my first hunt with the Zeiss LRP S3. Since zeroing the scope after the drop test I checked zero twice. Once at home before I left for my hunt and the day before the hunt started, I rechecked it at camp in Wyoming. Both times everything was still spot on.

After I verified zero at camp, I verified my drops with my new loads using the 142-grain LR Accubonds. I picked a .2 mil rock in a clay bank at 534 yards. I estimated the wind at 4 mph, so I held .2 mils into the wind and smacked the rock. Picked another about the same size and hit it as well. My confidence in my Sig10k, my rifle, and the Zeiss was high, and I was ready for the hunt.

Opening morning, I had my target buck broadside at 334 yards. He kept chasing a smaller buck around, so when he stopped, I quickly ranged, dialed, and pressed the trigger. Just as the shot broke, the buck whirled and took off, chasing the other buck again. He trotted back to his does and stopped slightly quartered away. This time at 371 yards. I quickly ranged, adjusted, and fired again. My shot hit just behind his shoulder, and he dropped in his tracks.



The Zeiss LRP S3 worked perfectly on this hunt. Next up will be more shooting and a Colorado deer hunt for my son.

 

[khuber84]

Hows the eyebox? Depth of field? Is this design/build of similar pedigree of the vortex 6-36 made in Japan? Pretty sure from my reading the S3 line is also made in the land of the rising sun. I am seriously considering the 425 model for my rimX 22 build as it has a ton of travel especially with the 30moa rail.

 

[Justin Crossley]

The eyebox has been very comfortable for me. To the point I haven't noticed it at all. The depth of field is good. I would say it compares favorably to the Gen III Razor that I reviewed here. I like the turrets better, and it's a little lighter. At this point in my testing of both, I would give the edge to the Zeiss S3 for my uses.

Speaking of testing, I checked zero yesterday for the first time since I shot my antelope in WY. The Zeiss was still zeroed. I then took it off the rifle and mounted it on a lighter rifle for some deer hunts. We'll see how it does bouncing around in the back of the SxS for a few hunts.

 

[Johnc427]

If the eyebox and glass isn't horrible (I have an NX8 2.5-20 and hate it), this looks like it has great potential. Big fan of the 4-25. My only complaint is it weighs 36/39 oz.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I had a couple of opportunities last weekend but didn't end up firing a shot. First thing Saturday morning, I spotted a young buck and then another but decided to let them grow.



On Saturday evening, my buddy spotted a mature buck bedded at 600 yards. There was a ridge between us that would get me to 300 yards, so I started hiking that way, and as soon as I was out of sight, the buck got up and headed out. I guess that's how he got old. Luke (the little guy in the photo above) said the best part of the weekend was when "uncle Justin screwed up on the big buck." LOL

My son and I leave Thursday morning for his Colorado deer hunt, so I'll recheck zero this weekend to confirm everything is good for his hunt. The rifle he'll be shooting is a Tikka in 6.5-06 AI in the Element 3.0 chassis.

 

[Justin Crossley]

My full review is posted on the homepage. Check it out.

Zeiss LRP S3 Review

 

[Despotes]

No mention of glass/image quality/eyebox etc.

 

[Justin Crossley]

No mention of glass/image quality/eyebox etc.

Those are all low on my list of what's important to a scope. Should have still included info though.

Glass is absolutely awesome. As nice as anything else I've used.

Eyebox was sufficient enough that it was never a point of concern throughout my use.

 

[Str8shooter]

I commend this review for explicitly testing out durability (love the drop test!) and continued zero check/ testing to 500+yds across numerous hunts. All the subjective stuff like clarity, color etc is all in the marketing text anyway. Would have enjoyed seeing the before and after drop groups but this review is a great step in the right direction and will look forward to more like these.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I commend this review for explicitly testing out durability (love the drop test!) and continued zero check/ testing to 500+yds across numerous hunts. All the subjective stuff like clarity, color etc is all in the marketing text anyway. Would have enjoyed seeing the before and after drop groups but this review is a great step in the right direction and will look forward to more like these.

Thank you. I thought about adding photos of some of the targets but was worried it would be too many photos. I'll see what I can do for the next review.

 

[General RE LEE]

Those are all low on my list of what's important to a scope. Should have still included info though.

Glass is absolutely awesome. As nice as anything else I've used.

Eyebox was sufficient enough that it was never a point of concern throughout my use.

Eye relief of 3”-3.5” seems a tad on the short side. Interested in this scope but not sure on my 7mm STW.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Eye relief of 3”-3.5” seems a tad on the short side. Interested in this scope but not sure on my 7mm STW.

I don't think it's an issue at all. I have it mounted the same as my ATACRs, NXS, Razor, etc. I feel the scope is very "comfortable" to use.

 

[AK86]

Is all the elevation adjustment usable? It's not limited to only so many revs on the turrets? I mean if I had the right rail could I actually use all 160 moa on the 4x25 and all 110 on 6x36?